The American ideal of sexuality appears to be rooted in the American ideal of masculinity. This idea has created cowboys and Indians, good guys and bad guys, punks and studs, tough guys and softies, butch and faggot, black and white. It is an ideal so paralytically infantile that it is virtually forbidden -- as an unpatriotic act -- that the American boy evolve into the complexity of manhood.

Summary

This quote highlights the notion that the American perception of sexuality is heavily influenced by the concept of masculinity. It suggests that American society has constructed a rigid framework where individuals are categorized into opposing roles and stereotypes, such as cowboys and Indians, good and bad guys, or butch and faggot. The quote argues that this narrow ideal of masculinity prevents American boys from fully embracing the complexities and nuances of genuine manhood. It implies that evolving beyond this infantile perception is seen as unpatriotic, reflecting the restrictive nature of societal expectations.

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